If you plan your tour in 2021, we give you expert advice to include in your list the below five exotic attractions in Ethiopia – the Land of Origins.
1. Danakil Depression
Dear Customer, if you want to make adventurous travel and visit the hottest place in the world, Danakil Depression is ready to welcome you. The Danakil Depression is found in the Afar region bordering Eritrea. The Depression is one of the lowest places on Earth and also one of the hottest in average yearly temperature. In fact, Danakil is one of the most surreal and harsh places on the planet. It includes Africa’s lowest point, at 155m below sea level, as well as one of its hottest where the temperature reaches as high as 50°C in summer. Visiting Danakil is a true expedition; you can trek up an active volcano, camp on the crater rim, and explore the otherworldly landscapes of Dallol, with its geysers and rainbow-colored mineral deposits.
Recommended Tours: 3 Days Danakil Depression Tours
2. Lalibela
You would be left spellbound with human wisdom on the planet e Earth at the sight of Lalibela, one of the wonders of the world. This UNESCO registered special heritage is located in the Amhara regional state, 645 km north of Addis Ababa. You would be surprised when looking at the 11 medieval monolithic cave churches which are carved out of a single rock. The buildings are attributed to King Lalibela who set out to construct the churches in the 12th century. Lalibela is the high place of Ethiopian Christianity.
These rock-hewn churches – up to 13m high – were created in the 13th century. They were freed entirely from the rock with just hammers and chisels, complete with elaborated windows, columns , and roofs. Lalibela remains a living cultural site;1,000 of its 10,000 residents are priests, and the churches are the focal points for ceremonies, vigils, and processions.
From the 10th to the mid-13th century, it was the capital of the Zagwe Dynasty that ruled the country and was under the direction of its most famous King, Lalibela, who carved out the churches. King Lalibela gathered the greatest craftsmen together estimated to be 40,000 people to create the churches.
Recommended Tours: 3 Day North Ethiopia Tours To Lalibela
3. Omo Valley
Dear Tourist, pay a visit to Omo Valley if you would like to be greeted with some of the world’s oldest human remains. The Lower Valley of the Omo is located in the remote southwest corner of Ethiopia, close to the border with Kenya. Today, the Omo Valley continues to provide a glimpse of ancient ways of life, thanks to more than a dozen tribes that live along the banks of the Omo River. Famed for their body adornments – which include lip plates, scarification, and face paint – the tribes are a huge tourist attraction. The Konso and Dorze people’s way of life is also fascinating; little influenced by tourism, life in this spectacular region of the Rift Valley revolves around market days, traditional ceremonies, farming, and weaving. Unlike the Omo Valley, there are community guesthouses and workshops, providing an authentic immersion into these welcoming yet little known cultures.
Recommended Tours: 6 Days Omo Valley Tours
4. Simien Mountains
Simien Mountains National Park with its hair-raising jagged peaks and deep gorges is a mist-shrouded park where Ethiopia’s most striking wildlife: gelada baboons, Walia ibex, and lammergeyer vultures live. You find the Park in northern Ethiopia. Millions of years of erosion have created a jaw-dropping landscape, recognized by UNESCO. Surreal Afro-Alpine vegetation clings to the steep slopes, over 3,600m high. You can take single or multi-day treks with local guides who offer insight information on the “roof of Africa.
It is so exciting to climb an altitude of 4,620m, stretching 100 miles east to west; the Simien Mountains are one of the highest peaks in Africa. In addition to being the resident area of colorful Amhara tribes, the Simien Mountains are also home to a vast assortment of wildlife, where Gelada Baboons, the Simien fox, bushbuck, and the magnificent Lammergeyer vulture can be found.
Recommended Tours: 3 Days Simien Mountains National Park Trekking
5. Harar
Once in Addis Ababa, visiting Harar should be inescapable. Harar is one of the most impressive of Ethiopia’s historic sites, reflecting the long and colorful history of the country. Located in the East of Ethiopia, it was founded in the late first millennium BC and became a stronghold of Islam. Harar has been ruled by seventy-two successive imams since its formation.
Harar, Islam’s fourth holiest city covers just a single square kilometer in eastern Ethiopia, and this walled citadel contains over 80 mosques and 360 labyrinthine alleyways dating back up to 1,000 years. The elegant Islamic architecture, colorful robes, and ancient markets seemed to have altered little since then. One of Harar’s main draws is the feeding of the hyenas – a nightly ritual that deters the predators from attacking livestock. It is also one of the main Muslim pilgrimages and has many fascinating sites including the old walled town which was established in The 1540s, and contains 90 mosques. One of the town’s ancient traditions has also become one of its main attractions; every day a selected resident goes out of the city and calls the Hyenas that live in the surrounding areas, only to feed them by hand.
Recommended Tours: 3 Days Harar and Dire Dewa Tours